Spotify to slap ‘AI Persona’ badges on AI-generated artist profiles 

Spotify said it will begin adding “AI Persona” badges to certain artist profiles starting in mid-September, aiming to give listeners greater transparency about whether the artist behind the music is a real person.

The streaming platform said some users have expressed concerns about profiles that appear to depict human artists but instead represent AI-generated personas.

The badges will appear on profile banners and About sections, as well as in Search results and track rows within playlists, Spotify said.

Beginning Tuesday, artists will be able to disclose through Spotify for Artists that their profile represents an AI Persona.

Spotify also said it will review profiles whose public identity appears to use photorealistic AI-generated imagery.

Under the new policy, AI Persona accounts will be excluded by default from Spotify’s editorial and algorithmic recommendations unless listeners actively choose to follow those artists.

The company said artists whose profiles are flagged by its review team will be notified and given an opportunity to self-disclose or appeal the designation.

Listeners will also be able to see whether an artist voluntarily identified themselves as an AI Persona or whether Spotify applied the label following its own review process.

Spotify said the badge will be based on an artist’s public identity rather than the method used to create the music, meaning the label is intended to identify AI-generated personas, not necessarily music created with artificial intelligence tools.

The move comes as streaming platforms face increasing scrutiny over the use of artificial intelligence in music creation and the authenticity of artist identities presented to listeners.